Legacy Recordings

Soul Stirrer Johnnie Taylor went to charm school with Sam Cooke and majored in hit-making at the University of Stax in Memphis. Stax perished, but like good church people, J.T. rose again. Hitting below the Bible and every other belt, “Disco Lady” was the recording industry’s first official platinum-certified single. Most of the Southern soul gods were thumped across the Mason-Dixon line when disco hit, but this lady moved untold thousands from the dance floor to the boudoir. With tinkling bells, Bootsy’s wah-wah shimmies and that sexy, gritty vocal, shaking up, shaking down…it was the last thing heard before the hangover.

(H. Scales/A. Vance/D. Davis); Produced by Don Davis; arranged by George (Bernie) Worrell, Don Davis, David Van De Pitte; background vocals arranged by Robert (Bobby) Eaton; Johnnie Taylor, lead vocal; George (Bernie) Worrell, keyboards; William (Bootsy) Collins, bass; Glen Goines, guitar; Zachary Slater, drums; Donna Davis, Pamela Vincent, Telma Hopkins, background vocals; horns by The Detroit Horns; Rec. Detroit, November 1975. From Eargasm, Columbia 33951; P 1976 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Disco Lady by Johnnie Taylor